Abstract
This action research project transformed a former bowling green into a public, inclusive, edible landscape in Waharoa, Aotearoa-New Zealand, where everyone is welcome to help themselves to fruits and vegetables free of charge and without being asked to work on the land. This 400 m2 Living Lab (LL) differs from community gardens, which are increasingly seen as privatising public land. The LL involved multi-stakeholder cooperation (government, community, and academia) and produced benefits that research participants perceived as transition pathways to more nutritious dietary choices, health education, and reduced criminality in a socially deprived region. The analyses of interviews, observations, and pollinator surveys conducted at the Waharoa LL (which confirmed that 14 visiting species were drawn by the LL) were coupled with insights from prior scholarship to put forward an approach to regenerative placemaking that articulates human and non-human perspectives and serves a planetary purpose combining human health and biodiversity benefits.